Preview Ayr United

Ladbrokes Champiinship (home) Saturday 22nd December 2018, 3.00pm kick off at East End Park

Dunfermline’s next match will be at home against Ian McCall’s Ayr United. The League One champions lead the Championship table and have taken the league by storm this season. Ayr lead Ross County by one point but with a game in hand at home to Inverness Caley Thistle.

Milestones v Ayr United (home)

Last League Victory | 13/02/16 | 3-2 | League One
Last League Defeat | 18/03/17 | 0-1 | League One
Best League Victory | 10/12/94 | 6-0 | First Division
Worst League Defeat | 13/10/73 | 0-4 | Div One (old)
Last Goalless League match | 03/02/82 | First Division
First League meeting | 30/11/1912 | Div Two (old)

Last Meeting at East End Park
Saturday 18th March 2017
Dunfermline 0 Ayr United 1

Joe Cardle and Ryan Williamson returned in the absence of the injured Andy Geggan and Paul McMullan. For Ryan it was his first start since October. Sean Murdoch wore the captain’s armband.

Ayr United had seven players out injured but still named a formidable starting eleven including former Pars Farid El Alagui, Greg Fleming and Paddy Boyle. Three players dropped out of the side defeated 4-1 at home by Falkirk the previous Saturday. Craig Moore, Gary Harkins and Craig McGuffie made way for Alan Forrest, Michael Rose and Ross Docherty.

Despite the Fifers dominating the first half it was all square at the break. It looked as though it was only a matter of time before the Pars would score the eventual opener but that was to come at the other end. A corner from the left was not dealt with and the ball squirmed through Jason Talbot to sneak in at the near post. Ross DOCHERTY was credited with the goal but it was great outcome from a fairly tame header. 0-1

In 57 minutes Michael Rose fired a shot on target from a free kick 35 yards out. Murdoch touched that over the bar. Then a minute later Gilmour drilled the ball tantalisingly through the Pars six yard box. Then Murdoch had to keep out a Forrest shot from an acute angle.

Going for a change, Allan Johnston made a double substitution in 63 minutes - David Hopkirk and Michael Paton replacing Michael Moffat and Kallum Higginbotham. It was five minutes later when Paton pushed Williamson down the right to cut in and find Cardle but amazingly Joe missed from the edge of the six yard box.

Hopkirk and Talbot were to have good efforts but it was to be Ayr’s win and three precious points in their battle to avoid the drop.

DUNFERMLINE: Sean Murdoch (c): Ryan Williamson, Callum Morris, Lee Ashcroft, Jason Talbot: Nat Wedderburn: Kallum Higginbotham (Michael Paton 63), John Herron, Joe Cardle (Gavin Reilly 80): Nicky Clark, Michael Moffat (David Hopkirk 63).
SUBS NOT USED: Rhys McCabe, Callum Fordyce, Lewis Spence, David Hutton (GK)

AYR UNITED: Greg Fleming. Nicky Devlin (c), Daryll Meggat, Conrad Balatoni, Paddy Boyle. Robbie Crawford, Michael Rose, Ross Docherty (Craig McGuffie 70), Brian Gilmour: Alan Forrest (Gary Harkins 79), Farid El Alagui (Craig Moore 73)
SUBS NOT USED: Michael Wardrope, Sean McKenzie, Scott McKenna, Jordan Hart (GK)

The Pars have won 45 to Ayr`s 31, 24 have been drawn. The Pars have lost only five of the last 35 league meetings. Ayr United have only won 9 of the last 57 games between the sides in all competitions stretching back to 1983. But they won convincingly in the first fixture of this season 4-1 at Somerset Park in August.

Of the last twelve league meetings against Ayr United, Dunfermline have won seven, lost three and drawn two.

Last Twelve League Meetings v Ayr United
Date | H/A | F-A | W D L | League

25/08/18 | A | 1-4 | L | Championship
18/03/17 | H | 0-1 | L | Championship
07/01/17 | A | 2-0 | W | Championship
03/12/16 | H | 1-1 | D | Championship
01/10/16 | A | 0-0 | D | Championship
12/03/16 | A | 2-0 | W | League One
13/02/16 | H | 3-2 | W | League One
12/12/15 | A | 2-1 | W | League One
12/09/15 | H | 0-2 | L | League One
07/03/15 | H | 2-1 | W | League One
31/01/15 | A | 2-0 | W | League One
06/12/14 | H | 4-2 | W | League One

Form Last Six Matches

DUNFERMLINE
Queen of the South (A) D 0-0
Partick Thistle (A) L 0-2
Morton (H) W 3-0
Ross County (A) L 1-2
Falkirk (H) L 0-1
Alloa Athletic (A) W 1-0

AYR UNITED
Ross County (H) D 3-3
Dundee United (A) W 5-0
Beith Juniors (A) W 3-0
Morton (A) D 0-0
Queen of the South (H) D 1-1
Falkirk (H) W 1-0

League Form
Dunfermline’s home form has troubled them this season but their fortune changed in their last home game winning 3-0 against Morton.

Ayr are unbeaten at home this season and have only lost three times, the league matches in Dumfries and Dingwall and their Betfred Cup tie at Ibrox.

DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 7th
League Points: 19
League Record: P17 W5 D4 L8 GF13 GA23
Goal Difference: -7
Last Six League Match Form: WLLWLD

AYR UNITED
League Position: 1st
League Points: 34
League Record: P16 W10 D4 L2 GF33 GA15
Goal Difference: +18
Last Six League Match Form: WWDDWD

Last time out

DUNFERMLINE (v Queen of the South): Lee Robinson: Ryan Williamson, Lee Ashcroft (c), Danny Devine, Jackson Longridge: James Vincent: Kallum Higginbotham, Tom Beadling, Joe Thomson: Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Myles Hippolyte 67), Aidan Keena.
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis McCann, James Craigen, Mark Durnan, Stuart Morrison, Cammy Gill (GK)

AYR UNITED (v Ross County): Ross Doohan: Daniel Harvie, Michael Rose, Steven Bell, Liam Smith, Andy Geggan, Robbie Crawford, Declan McDaid (Chris Higgins 62), Michael Moffat (Craig Moore 70), Lawrence Shankland, Andy Murdoch.
SUBS NOT USED: David Ferguson, Craig McGuffie, Steven Docherty, Luke McCowan, Ellis Hare-Reid (GK)

Lots of former Pars in the Ayr squad - Steven Bell, Andy Geggan, Chris Higgins, Mark Kerr, Michael Moffat and Lawrence Shankland - all of course under the leadership of ex Par Ian McCall.

Referee will be Steven McLean.

Other Championship Fixtures

Alloa Athletic v Queen of the South
Dundee United v Falkirk
Morton v Inverness Caley Thistle
Ross County v Partick Thistle

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